


The Delicate Balance Between Work and Love

by deansangel_cas97



Category: NCIS
Genre: M/M, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-08
Updated: 2019-06-08
Packaged: 2020-04-19 17:41:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19137541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deansangel_cas97/pseuds/deansangel_cas97
Summary: It started off innocent. With Kate, Tony, and Tim having dinner together after a long case. It became a regular thing. If a case lasted longer than 48 hours and required no sleep and gave no time to eat, they went out.





	The Delicate Balance Between Work and Love

It started off innocent. With Kate, Tony, and Tim having dinner together after a long case. It became a regular thing. If a case lasted longer than 48 hours and required no sleep and gave no time to eat, they went out. 

Then Kate was killed and Ziva was there. Tony didn't trust her, so he refused to bring her along when Tim had asked. So dinner was just the two of them. 

Then after one gruesome murder that left them all emotionally tired, they skipped dinner and went straight to McGee's place. There was no sex that night, but it was still a big step. 

The sleep overs became an almost nightly occurence, sex came into the picture soon enough. 

They never spoke of it at work. They had never talked about what they were to each other, but McGee knew he was developing feelings. Tony acted no different. In the bedroom he was just as methodical as he was at doing his job. He found and memorized every spot on Tim's body that made him squirm. 

Then Gibbs quit, Tony was put in charge and they actually started going on dates. Date dates. Tony initiated it, asking Tim to the Adam's house bar on a Saturday night. 

Things were going well. Tim was falling in love. Tony was too. Ziva and Abby started noticing that their demeanor toward each other changing, becoming more tender. Even Ducky asked Tony why he was so happy recently. 

Then everything changed, again. Tony became more distant. The dates stopped. The sleepovers became less common. And one day, Tony pulled Tim to the side and said, "I think we need to talk." 

Tim could tell by the look on his face that this was serious. "What's wrong?" 

Tony scratched his neck, "I'm just gonna say it." Then he sighed and said quickly "I don't think we should see each other anymore. It's just that it's starting to affect our work and that can't happen." 

Tim was stunned, and nodded as a reflex. He swallowed around a lump growing in his throat. "Okay. Whatever you say, boss." Then he walked away. Leaving Tony feeling raw and guilty. 

From then on, things were tense between them. Tim had even considered asking to transfer teams. Then Gibbs was back. 

Gibbs was back and Tim had to forget that he was in love with his senior field agent. 

Cases came in and they worked. Cases ended and Tim went home alone. Tony didn't. Tim could tell by the way always came in slightly wrinkled like he was in a hurry in the morning. But he avoided the subject of his secret girlfriend when Ziva brought it up and he left the room whenever his phone rang. 

Tim didn't mind, or at least he thought he was doing a good job of pretending he didn't. 

One day Ziva managed to get a Tony to talk about her, when they both thought that Tim wasn’t around. To be fair, he wasn’t around for the full conversation, just the last bits about her. 

When Tim was headed home, Tony followed him into the elevator. When the doors were closed and it began to move, Tony flipped the emergency button as he had seen Gibbs do more than once. 

He turned to Tim, but before he could say anything Tim put his hand up to stop him. "I really don't want to hear this, Tony. I really don't care." 

Tony grabbed the hand that was still held in front of him, "I'm sorry. I didn’t know you were there.”

Tim laughed crudely, “Like it would have made a difference if you did.” Tim flipped the switch again and they rode in silence.

They didn't talk about it again. They didn't talk at all, unless work required it. Not that Tony didn’t try, but Tim just walked the other direction. Gibbs witnessed it once and smacked Tony on the head. Tony didn't react, he just stared after Tim. Gibbs smacked him again, "He will come around. Give him time." 

Tony turned to him, alarmed and confused. "What?" 

Gibbs smirked. "You two weren't as subtle as you thought." 

Gibbs walked away, Tony sighed knowing his boss was right. 

Then they find out about Jeanne when Tony sends his distress signal to the director, and Tim doesn’t know whether to be mad at Tony or the Director right now. 

Then Tony's car exploded and they couldn't find him. Tim was so blinded with worry and regret he couldn't do anything but work. He couldn't comfort Abby. He snapped at Ziva, and Gibbs, and almost the director.

Luckily Gibbs saw what was about to happen and dragged Tim into the elevator. Gibbs flipped the emergency switch and turned to a stiff puffing McGee. "Tim." 

Tim looked his boss in the eye. Gibbs face was soft. "We are going to find him. He is fine. If he's not, he has to answer to the both of us. He knows that."

Tim nodded taking a deep breath, "I know, boss." 

Gibbs watched him as he breathed until he was calm again, then Tim nodded indicating that he was fine. Gibbs nodded back, and hit the switch turning the elevator back on. 

Later, when Tony was safely back in the building, Abby hugged him furiously. As did Ziva. But Tim stood back, and just watched. Tony caught his eye over Ziva's shoulder and gave him a soft smile. Tim smiled back, quickly. 

Tony left before everyone else that night, Tim followed him. When they were in the elevator, Tim was the one to hit the emergency switch. Once the elevator shuttered to a halt, he shoved Tony against the wall. "You fucking asshole, don't you ever do that again!" 

Tony nodded, he couldn't do anything else. Tim shoved his lips to Tony's without hesitation. Tony could feel every emotion the other man had felt towards him in the last few months. Hatred, fear, betrayal, heartbreak, and love. 

Tony began to move against him, his hands moving to run through the hair of the man he loved. Tim broke the kiss when he felt Tony's hands on his neck.

"I'm still mad at you." Tim hadn't moved, he was still pressing Tony to the wall with his whole body. 

Tony pulled his hands back, "I know." 

Tim nodded and moved back in for another kiss. He lost track of the amount of time they stood this way, but when they broke again they were both breathing heavily and sporting erections. 

Tony pressed his forehead to Tim's and whispered. "I am so sorry."

Tim's kissed his nose in response. He wasn't ready to forgive, but he didn't want to say that either. 

Tim took a shuddering breath, "I'm so glad you're okay." 

Tony said as he moved to bury his face in the crook of the shorter man's neck. "I am now."

They stood hugging for another few seconds before Tim pushed back. "I think we need to restart the elevator before someone notices." 

Tony grinned, but nodded anyway. He wasn't sure that Tim would appreciate the dirty jokes running through his head, so he kept them to himself. 

Tim pecked the taller man on the lips once more before he fully extracted himself from the arms he had missed so much. The elevator shook slightly as it restarted when Tony flipped the switch. 

When they stepped off the elevator, Tony's replacement cell phone rang. A guilty look crossed his face when he saw it was Jeanne, but answered it anyway. Tim nodded, a dejected look on his face, and moved to his car. 

Tim ran the scene in the elevator over and over in his head all night long. He couldn't fall asleep because he kept replaying every word said, every move both of them had made until the sun was shining through the window and his alarm clock rang. 

At work Tim was exhausted, two cups of coffee had not helped.. Tony looked like he too had been up all night, but he was also sporting a blackening eye when he threw himself into his office chair almost a full hour after Tim had arrived. 

Thankfully, Ziva saw it too and asked so that Tim didn’t have to. "Tony, what happened to your face? You look like you are getting a blue eye."

"Black eye." Gibbs corrected as he stopped in his tracks in front of his agent’s desk. "What the hell happened?" He threw a quick glance to Tim, so quick he almost missed it. 

Tony just shrugged, "I told Jeanne the truth. She decked me." 

Gibbs grinned and continued his trek to his desk, "Good for her." 

Ziva was smiling too, "Is that all she did? If it were me, I would have castrated you."

Tony looked alarmed, "Yes, other than a lot of yelling. Remind me to never cheat on you."

"Cheat?" Tim said quietly. 

Tony looked over at Tim for the first time since he had come in. "Yeah, among other things, but I really don't think any agency anywhere would be dumb enough to try and send an agent to seduce Ziva to get to her father."

Ziva nodded. Gibbs smiled. Tim looked confused. "When did you cheat on her?" 

Tony licked his lips, trying to force his mouth not to be dry anymore. "It wasn't her I cheated on, it was with her. From the beginning." 

Gibbs and Ziva were watching Tim as closely as Tony was at this point. Tim opened his mouth, closed it, and nodded. Then he turned back to his computer to finish the report he was writing. He wasn't comfortable talking about this in the squad room. It wasn't just Gibbs and Ziva, there were at least ten other agents within ear shot. 

Gibbs and Ziva followed Tim's lead, turning back to the work at hand. But Tony kept on staring at him. Trying to memorize every inch of the face of the man who's forgiveness he craved so much. 

That night, there was a tentative knock on Tim's door. He really wasn't surprised to see Tony, it was the flowers and the six pack beer of his favorite that made him look confused. 

Tony cleared his throat, "Hi." 

Tim stood staring for a second before he shook it off and smiled, "I was just about to order Chinese. Any requests?" 

Tony followed Tim into the apartment, "No, just whatever you feel like it fine." 

Tim shook his head, "Put the beer in the fridge. I’ll order." 

When the food was safely on its way, Tim and Tony sat on the couch and waited for the other to start talking. The silence stretched and filled every inch of the small room.   
Finally, Tim took a deep breath and started to speak. “How lon- ,” he sighed, “When did it start?” 

Tony looked down at his feet. “Do you remember that weekend I made dinner and- “

“And you made me promise not to leave all weekend? Not to even leave the bed for very long? I remember.”

Tony felt guilty all over again, “Jenny set up a ‘meet cute’ that Monday.” 

Tim had fondly remembered that weekend, but now the memory felt tainted. 

Tim doesn't know why he said it. Jealousy for Tony, maybe pity for Jeanne. Whatever it was, it made him say, "Tell me about her." 

Tony eyes asked it before his mouth did, "are you sure?"

Tim swallowed and nodded, "yeah, I- I think it might help." 

Tony nodded, and began to talk. He told Tim about their first date, first kiss, every time Tony had helped her study, and so much more. “She is smart. We would watch movies and she wouldn’t complain when I could quote a scene. She didn’t deserve any of this.” Tony’s smile was fond, but more the way one is fond of a cousin than a girlfriend. This only solidified Tim’s belief that Tony did care for her, but not in a romantic way. 

Tony talked about Jeanne until the food arrived. They ate surrounded by a silence that was more comfortable than the one before. It was almost normal, they even fought over the last egg roll, before deciding to split it. 

When the empty containers were thrown away, and the leftover food was put in the fridge, Tony brought two beers over to the coffee table. Tim looked at him, “Did you sleep with her?” 

Tony halted for a second where he was sitting down on the couch, then slowly put his weight on the cushion. His eyes were fixed on the beer on the table. “I had to keep my cover.”

Tim pursed his lips and nodded. Tony moved his gaze to try and meet Tim’s. “I was trying to avoid it, but she asked and I-” Tony shrugged instead of finishing his sentence. 

The silence was once again uncomfortable. 

Tony cleared his throat, “I told the director about us today. About what she helped me ruin.”  
Tim looked at the other man. “Oh?”

“Yeah, she was surprised, shocked, and every other word that means she truly didn’t know. Then she was sorry.” Tony was looking at his hands. 

Tim stared at the ceiling. He didn’t know what to think, didn’t know what to say. But he did say, “I’ve missed you.”

Tony’s smile was pained, “me too.” 

After a little while, the clock on the wall struck midnight. Tony cleared his throat and stood. “I should go.”

Tim stood too. “Okay.”

Tony moved to fully face Tim, “Would you meet me for dinner tomorrow?”

Tim didn’t have to think, he nodded. 

“Adam’s house at 7?”

Tim nodded again. 

Tony wasn’t sure what to do with his hands. He wanted to reach out to Tim, but he wasn’t sure he should. Tim was the one to move in to the hug. Tony buried his face in the younger man’s neck trying to memorize his scent. Maybe they can fix this. Maybe it isn’t only mostly dead.


End file.
